24 MILITARY SCIENCES. 



The first order of battle assumed by the Romans was very like the Greek 

 phalanx. PL 4, fig. 31, shows such a disposition in one line ; BB is the line 

 of the infantry ; and here four legions, with very narrow intervals, form a 

 complete phalanx. The cavalry was posted on the flanks at AA, and the 

 light troops form the line CC. This disposition, however, was soon aban- 

 doned ; in its stead, the manipular disposition was introduced (fig. 32), in 

 which the maniples were established in one line, with intervals between 

 each maniple ; the equites formed here the advanced line BB ; then came 

 the line of the legion AA, made up of single maniples ; and lastly the light 

 troops CC, who, after having made the first onset, retired behind the legion. 

 The intervals meanwhile remained open only until the light troops and 

 cavalry had retired through them ; then the files opened, so that each 

 soldier might have free space for combat, and thereby space was made 

 in which the horsemen used to support the wearied foot-soldiers. Such 

 w^as the order of battle to the time of the consulate. Under the consuls, 

 however, the so-called quincunx was first adopted : Jig. 33 shows this. In 

 the first line, AA, stood the hastati ; and in their front the light troops, in 

 two ranks, as shown by the shading. Each maniple of sixty men, and 

 twenty light armed, had a front of ten, and the intervals were equal to the 

 fronts. The maniples of the principes stood in like strength and front 

 behind the hastati, but so that each maniple of the second line BB was 

 opposite an interval of the first. At first, the principes occupied the fore- 

 most line (whence their name), but in the new disposition it was held better 

 to place the younger people in the first line, and the elder, principes, as the 

 firmer and more experienced, in the second. The third line, CC, was held 

 by the triarii, who were again stationed on the intervals of the second ; the 

 rorarii, light armed troops, formed the fourth line DD, mostly bowmen and 

 slingers, who made the first attack, and then retired through the maniple- 

 intervals to their assigned place. The fifth line, EE, was* formed by the 

 accensi, or troops who were posted as a reserve, and from whom the 

 maniples of the foremost lines were recruited. Regulus improved on this 

 disposition of the quincunx, by increasing the depth of the maniples one 

 third, and giving the legion, instead of fifteen maniples front, only ten (pi 

 4, Jig. 34). The light armed troops now formed a complete line, AA; the 

 maniples of the hastati the line BB ; of the principes the line CC ; and of 

 the triarii the line DD. 



Later this disposition by maniples was abandoned, and that by cohorts 

 was introduced, every two maniples of the same line being united to form a 

 cohort. Fig. 35 shows this disposition : AA are the five cohorts of the 

 principes ; the plan of placing the hastati on the first line being now given 

 up, and their cohorts forming the second line BB, stationed on the intervals 

 of the first line ; the third continuous line CC was made by the light troops, 

 who so established themselves after their first onset ; and the fourth line, 

 DD, was held by the triarii. At this time great value began to be placed 

 upon projectile weapons, and the heavy armed received, in addition to their 

 former equipment, five darts loaded with lead. 



At the time of the civil wars the distinction between hastati, principes, 

 500 



